Tuesday 24 February 2009
- Bible Book:
- Mark
"He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, 'Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.'" (v.35)
Background
It is a common human desire to be better than others, to befirst in the queue, to have our needs considered first. Thedisciples shared that desire and expressed it in their argumentabout who was greatest (verses 33-34). Each of the sayings intoday's passage says something in response to such a desire.
First Jesus appears to accept their argument. It is as though he issaying, 'You want to be greatest? Well, this is what you mustdo...' But his words quickly undermine the desire. To be greatestyou "must be last of all and servant of all". It's like saying, ifyou want to be first in the queue, go to the back. It doesn't makesense.
Second, Jesus acknowledges another way this desire makes itselffelt: the disciples want to be close to him - to 'welcome' him.They have turned that desire to be important into an expression oftheir discipleship. But they should be turning their discipleshipback to transform their desires.
So Jesus hugs a child in the middle of this circle of egoisticadult men. He draws attention to who is significant in his eyes.The child matters more than the adult. If the disciples want to beclose to Jesus, then they must make space to embrace the child andto welcome those who they count as unimportant.
Third, this conversation takes place immediately after Jesus hastaught the disciples about pain and death (verses 30-32). He isgoing to rise again, but not until he has first been handed over tohostile people and killed. This is the second time in the Gospelthat Mark has told us about Jesus telling his disciples about whatis to happen. The first time (
To Ponder
How do you let the desire to be more significantthan others get the better of you? What could you do aboutthis?
Who around you is regarded as unimportant, andhow can you welcome them?